Are Only Individuals Always Getting Ripped Off? Institutions' Quiet Storm of Accumulation Captured in On-Chain Data | Seo Dong-ju, Kim Dong-hwan, Kim Jun-woo Xangle CEO [Crypto PLUS]

Summary

Institutional investors are quietly accumulating Bitcoin and Ethereum while retail sentiment remains weak. On-chain data and ETF flows indicate an early bull phase driven by institutions. The US is rapidly advancing crypto regulation and products, but Korea risks falling behind.

• The gap between institutional and retail sentiment in crypto is widening, with institutions actively accumulating.
• On-chain data shows wallets holding 100-1000 BTC increasing, indicating institutional accumulation.
• Bitcoin ETF inflows are the most impactful indicator of institutional demand.
• Ethereum's ecosystem total value is in a bull market despite stagnant ETH price, suggesting undervaluation.
• US regulatory progress (SEC, CFTC) and new products like volatility indexes are accelerating institutional entry.
• Korea's regulatory lag may cause capital outflows as US-based crypto products become more accessible.
• Retail investors are overly focused on altcoin underperformance, missing the institutional-driven Bitcoin uptrend.
• Tokenized real-world assets and stablecoins could bring massive capital into crypto markets.